Vehicle-tire



W. AND J.- G SMALL.

VEHICLE TIRE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.12. 1919.

1,346,514. Patented July 13, 1920.

WITNESS INVE/VT William 5111 9r v 7' 31m (3.5mm. V nrromn PATENT OFFICE.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM SMALL AND JOHN G. SMALL, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY.

VEHICLE-TIRE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13,1920.

' Application filed December 12, 1919. Serial No. 344,289.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, )VILLIAM SMALL and JoI-IN GRANT SMALL, citizens of the United States, residing at Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Tires, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to vehicle tires, and it has for its object to provide a tire of this class which will have all the advantages and none of the disadvantages of pneumatic tires, the same having a shoe of rubber which may be more or less the same as the rubber shoe used in ordinary pneumatic tires but instead of an inflatable inner tube a series of transverse arched spring members of a form atonce novel and designed to meet the various requirements of an elastic hollow tire.

In the accompanying drawings fully illustrating the invention,

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of the tire-including portion of a wheel embodying the invention; 7

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section of said wheel;

Fig. 3 shows in transverse section, detached from the wheel, the means to support the rubber shoe interiorly;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of said means; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan of the rim to which the aforesaid members are attached, one of which appears in section.

The wheel folly is indicated at a, and at b is indicated a rim (herein termed the fixed rim) permanently fixed thereon in any Way, the same having one edge turned outwardly to form a continuous shoulder 0 with which coacts a series of clips 03 (which are removably secured to the side of the felly opposite to shoulder a by screws 6) to hold in place the tire structure now to be described substantially in the same way that the ordinary demountable rim of a pneumatic tire is usually held in place.

The tire structure referred to includes a demountable rim member and the aforesaid springs and rubber shoe and preferably certain metallic rings secured to the rim.

The demountable rim is an annulus f of metal having its edge portions folded outwardly and back to produce the rebends 9, then bent outwardly and again folded back to produce the rebends it; thus the rim beterminating in curves 70 comes an outwardly channeled member, the sides of its channel being the rebends it which are in effect flanges in planes perpem dicular to the axis of the wheel. Preferably by suitably bending the flanges at regular intervals recesses 7', having their sides or side shoulders c" in radii of the wheel, are formed in the outer faces thereof; and the rebends g are flared outwardly. V

The transverse arched springs are strips of metal of the same width as the recesses or seats 2' and each has its intermediate portion is bent to substantially the form of somewhat more than one-half a circle and its end portions then first extending substantially parallel to each other and then folded inwardly and back on themselves to produce the rebends 7c" and then, normally spaced from the portion 7a and from each other. presenting their convex faces to each other and arranged equidistant from a plane midway between and parallel with the planes of the rebends 7c". The rebends is form the bases or attaching portions of the springs and are adapted to be set in the seats 71 of the aforesaid rim (see Fig. 5) bearing at their ends 7 againstthe bends g.

The rubber shoe Z is of the well-known type open at the inside and having outward beads Z at its edges. With the springs all in place 011 the rim, when the shoe is assembled with these parts the springs at their outer surfaces snugly adhere to the inner surface of the shoe (Fig. 1).

The rings, m, are formed continuously channeled at their inner portions, so that at the inside of each there is a groove m. They bear against the outer lateral faces of the shoe, their grooves on receiving the beads Z of the same.

For holding the springs, shoe and rings to the rim in the relation stated there are provided bolts 72 which penetrate the flanges of the rim (preferably between the springs- Fig. 2), the shoe and the rings and have nuts 0. Upon tightening the nuts on the bolts the lateral portions of the shoe and the bases of the springs may be clamped securely between said rim flanges and the rings, the interlock between the springs and said flanges afforded by the seats 6 keeping the springs from canting over one way or the other in the direction of the length of the wheel tread.

When the tire structure has been assembled it is slipped onto the fixed rim Z) of the wheel felly and thenthe clips (Z are secured in place by means of their screws 6.

clamp the tire structure to the wheel.

l Ve are aware that springs for use me hollow yielding vehicle shoe and formed so,

thatsthe intermediate portion of each conforms to'the transverse inner shape of the shoe and so that their ends are curves contact ng or capable of contacting at their con vex sides with each other are not new. But so far as we are aware it is newto fold the ends of the springs inwardly'on themselves to produce rebend-bases and then shape their extremities as curves having their convex faces opposed to each other, which construction, .not only brings the curves into playto better advantage as a part of the resilient'medium of the tire but makes'them in themselves stronger and the springs capable'of being held in position in a simpler more secure and ,otherwisemore advantageous manner. It will be understood, of course, thatwhen the improved tire is rolling, under load; andthe portion is ofeach springv is flattened suliiciently the pressure of the vehlole becomes resisted by the curves which: then bear against and SO 'coa'ct with each other.v I

1 Under si lethrust in posedon thewheel,

as in taking acurve, the pressure is first resisted by the lateral portions of the parts is and then also by the two ooacting curves, to wit; as soon as there has been a shifting of :the shoe suflicient to close up the space The clipsand the shoulder a of the fixed rinrbear against the rings m and together act to p at one side or the other according to the direction of such side-thrust. 7

Having thus fully described our invention what we claim as new and desire to said part. 4 V

2. 1n combinatiomwith a fixed tire-supportingp'art of a wheel, arched springmem V bers arrangedat lntervalsaround sa d part and having their end portions folded inwardlyupon themselves and terminating in.

curves having their convex ,facestoward each other, the folds of said end portions being opposed to opposite surfaces of said part facing sidewiseofthe wheeha hollow resilient tire shoe open continuously thereof at the inside and-fitted over said springs and having its edge portions flanking" the folds thereof, and 'means to clamp said spring-folds and the shoe edge-portions to said part. 7 p In testlmony whereof we aihx our signatures. r v WILLIAM SMALL. 7 JQHN Gr. SMALL. 

